stern: While Putin is carrying out the annexation of conquered areas in Ukraine, thousands of his soldiers have had to withdraw from the city of Lyman in the Donbass. What happened there?
Tor Bukkvoll: Lyman was important to the Russians as a logistical hub. It was fought over for weeks and they tried in vain to strengthen their groups there. They didn’t have the strength to do that. For the Russian military, there is a catastrophic shortage of troops throughout eastern Ukraine, which is certainly one reason for Putin’s mobilization last week. When the encirclement threatened, the Russians had to give up their positions.
Access to all STERN PLUS content and articles from the print magazine
ad-free
Already registered?
